The Archies Movie Review: Suhana Khan Shines In Zoya Akhtar's Netflix Adaptation! Film's Classy Production Design Stands Out As The Winner
The Archies movie review is out and the Zoya Akhtar directorial stars Agastya Nanda, Suhana Khan, Khushi Kapoor, Dot, Mihir Ahuja, Vedang Raina and Yuvraj Menda in major roles
Zoya Akhtar brings the iconic Archies comics to life via a quaint Indian town of Riverdale, nestled among the woods, a tight-knit Anglo-Indian community thrives in 1964. The city that is muddled with some fresh-faced teenagers engaged in typical youthful activities, strumming guitars in the school band (of course it's a musical movie), exchanging meaningful glances, indulging in flirtation, and navigating the intricate world of dating.
Among them are the handsome Archie Andrews, the charming Betty Cooper, the spirited Veronica Lodge, the ever-hungry Jughead Jones, the confident Reggie Mantle, the amiable yet unremarkable Moose, and the sensible Ethel. Meanwhile, the grown-ups, including the beloved Pop Tate overseeing the bustling cafeteria renowned for its hearty burgers and towering milkshakes, carry on with their daily routines.
Zoya quickly brings the central characters of Agastya Nanda as Archie, Khushi Kapoor as Betty, and Suhana Khan as Veronica to the scene but i must say the filmmaker could barely create the nostalgia of the characters in 40s iconic teenage-romance novel which we 90s kids grew up on. The Green Park which is the heart and soul of this Riverdale city is to be reconstructed by a businessman who turns out to be Betty's father and here's where the chaos begins. Honestly, the chemistry of Agastya with Khushi Kapoor and Suhana Khan didn't strike a chord. Even the screenplay doesn't cater to impactful scenes that would hit the audiences, however, some dialogues are too good to be missed.
I must say Suhana Khan gets a dream debut with this one as she plays this character with a lot of conviction and takes the command with all the right expressions and nuances of a rich spoiled brat American teen. She deserves all the praise. Agastya as charming Archies Adrews fails to create a mark but tries his best with whatever has been told to him in terms of the scene and dialogues assigned. Khushi Kapoor is truly pretty, possessive and charming in her screen time but misses out on some emotional scenes that don't look that appealing.
Overall Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar serve you a half-baked dish if you talk about this Indian adaptation of The Archies. The surprising factor was Farhan Akhtar who does a good job with dialogues but somehow Ayesha DeVitre's lacklustre screenplay is just a big miss and didn't do justice. The cinematography by Nikos Andritsakis is thoroughly captivating matched with the flawless editing of Nitin Baid that gets full marks but it's the suave production design and classy costume design give this flick an elegant touch, and totally stands out as the winner in terms of filmmaking. It does take you back in the 60s era where Retro was in fashion and Shammi Kapoor was our own Indian Elvis Presley.
I would say The Archies is bearable and you can surely watch it for Suhana Khan who impresses us with her standout performance as the bold and bubbly Veronica. Debutante's confidence and charisma define the Archies character she portrayed on screen! Bollywood's star kid surely has some potential inviting the industty's directors to sign her. Well, to conclude I can just say that you can surely give this film a watch if you aren't a hardcore Archies fan.
Ratings: 2.5/5
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